Well reamer



June 9, 1931. VER'TSCSN 1,809,258

v WELL REAMER I 7 Filed Oct. 17. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR- J A.VERTSON ATTORNEYS June 9, 1931- J. A. vER'r soN WELL REAMER 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct 17. 1929 INVENTOR J A. VERTSON g WW ATTORNEYSPatented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN A. vna'rson, or1mm. cunomr'n, nssrenon r sncunr'r! con- PANY 01' WHITTIER, 0!CALIFORNIA, A OOBPQBATION 0! CALIFORNIA.

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Application fled October 17, 1929. Serial 10. 400,816.

This invention relates to well reamers and to constructions of a similarnature.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved well reamer havingtoothed or grooved rotatable cutters so arran ed that i when the 'reamerit rotated in a well ole, the teeth will encounter the formation andproduce a grinding or shearing action thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide .an improved well reamerhaving rotary cutters which are rotatable about axes which are inclinedto the vertical. In such a construction I preferabl employ cutters whichare in the form 0 a araboloidal w frustums so that each cutter wi bearupon the walls of the well hole throughout its entire length.

A further object of the invention is to provide a well reamerwhich willefi'ectively It ream the walls of a well hole with a mini.-

mnm amount of driving efiort and which is of cheap, simpleand durableconstruction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the ll following detailed description, and s ificallypointed out in the appended c aims, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein: soFig. 1 is a view in side elevation of-the im roved well reamer.

Fi 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 2-2 uponFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial view in side elevation at illustrating aslightly modified form of construction. i Fi 4 illustrates a furthermodification,

' in si e elevation.

Fig. 5 is a partial view in side elevation, at illustrating a furtherform embodying the invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through a modified cutter construction.

Fig. 7 is a 45 pins employ'e in the improved reamer.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar referencecharacters deslgnate similar parts throughout, the improved well reamercomprises a cylindrical body 10, 5 having on one end a tool Joint pin 11and on rspective view of one of the the opposite end a tool 'ointboxindicated at 12. Any other suitab e construction ma be substituted forthe pin and box to attac the reamer and incorporate it in a drill pipe.

The central portion of the body 10 is enlar ed, as indicated at 13having at its to an bottom inclined shoulders 14 and 15. 1% theseshoulders recesses 16 and 17 are formed havin flat bottoms. Theserecesses are arrange otherwise than in vertical alignment. Elongatedrecesses 18 are formed in the en'- la'rgement 13 between each pair of 16and 17. Tl. s recesses 18 are approxima semi-cylindrical in form and areadapted to receive rotatable cutters 19, which are rotatable on pins 20extending through bores 21 in the body from recesses 16 to recesses 17.As clearly. shown in Fig. 7 the upper ends of the pins 20 have heads 20aofiset, which are recessed in the countersunk up r ends of the bores 21.In a like manner 51 0 lower ends of the pins 20 have oiiset threadedstems 20b adapted to receive nuts 200: By the oflset arrangement, theheads 20m and the nuts 200 will be disposed inwardly from the peripheralsurface of the bod so that the cannot be engaged or 'dama by the w ofthe hole. It will-be note that the pins 20, which rovide the bearingsfor the cutters, are

I inclined to the. vertical and to the horizontal.

Their upper ends are inclined in the direction of rotation.

In the modification shown in Figs. 1 and 2 each cutter is in the form ofa araboloidal frustum or may be simpl descri as somewhat barrel shape inform. On its exterior surface it is provided with a pluralit of annulargrooves, indicated at 22,

'whic define teeth 23, somewhat similar to ordinary threads with theexception that each tooth or thread does not rogrem from one end of thecutter to the ot er. Between the recesses 18 suitable grooves 24 areformed extending from the top to the bottom of the enlargement 13.These'grooves may in some instances be omitted but when em loyed serveto facilitate the upward flow o circulation fluid about the reamcr,which is discharged through the drill pipe and through the axial boreformed in the body 10.

'1 and 2 are tain circumstances than this number can be varie Because ofthe fact that the cutters are rotatable about axes which are inclined tothe vertical each cutter is given the shape, substantially asshown,wherein the diameter of its center is somewhat greater than adjacenteither end. By such a construction each cutter will bear against andream the formation throughout its entire length, which would-not be trueif the cutters were cylindrical in shape, rotating on the inclined axesas shown.

The modification disclosed in Fig. 3 is sub- 'stantially the same asthat disclosed in Fig. 1 with the exception that the teeth 26 instead ofbeing annular are in the form of either single or multiple threads,progressing from one end toward the other of the cutter. The

as shown,

' advantages previously described in connec tion wit the constructiondisclosed in Figs. present in this construction in a like manner. Byhaving the teeth in the form of threads a greater inclination of theteeth relatively to the direction of movement with respect to theformation is possible.

In the modification disclosed in Fig. 4 each cutter is of substantiallythe same construction as that disclosed in Fig. 1, the only difierenceresiding in the provision of a longtudinal groove 27, which is arrangedat suitable intervals on the exterior surface of the cutter. Thislongitudinally extending groove traverses the teeth and facilitates theupward How of circulation fluid through each cutter. The threads 31teethon each cutter are thus divided by the grooves and present sharpends which penetrate and shear oil the formation somewhat more easilyunder cera cutter having annular teeth, as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 illustrates a construction wherein each cutter is similar to thecutters disclosed in Fig. 3, having helical teeth 28. These aretraversed by a helically extending longitudinal groove 29, servingsubstantially the same purposes as the groove 27 disclosed in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 6 a further modified form of construction ofcutter' is disclosedwherein each cutter is made up of a plurality of independent segments30. Each segment is provided with a few teeth and is so formed that whena plurality of segments are assembled together they cooperate to form acutter of the barrel shape herebefore described.

It will be readily understood that any one of the cutter constructionsmay be employed on the improved reamer and that features present in oneform of cutter may be incorporated in the construction of others. Theimproved reamer is highly advantageous 111 that thecutter does notmerely roll against the formation, packing the formation into the wallsof the well, but instead rolls on the formation and by virtue of itsteeth siearspor- 'tions of it away so that there is l]. reallt ashearing or grinding action. This shearing or grinding action, causingthe walls of'the well to be reamed very smoothly, can be accomplishedwith a minimum amount of turning efiort on the drill pipe.

The above described reamer may be briefly described as consisting of abody adapted to be rotated with rotary cutters mounted on the body insuch a manner that during cutting or reaming operations the cutter Wlllbe held by the body the desired distance fromits center. In other words,the body provides a rigid structure preventing the inward movement ofthe cutters when they are engaging the walls of a well. One end of eachcutter is higher than the other, and the ends of each cutter arearranged in difierent radial planes, so that each cutter 1s inclinedthrough a radial plane from the center of the body arranged between theends of the cutter. It will be appreciated that the invention may 'beembodied in various types of reamers and is not restricted to astat1onary reamer as shown, but may be applied to expansion ream'erssuch as under-reamers.

The above described construction, wlule it is particularly adapted to beused in well reamers, can be advantageously employed in a swaging toolfor swaging out collapsed casing. When the tool is constructed forswagmg purposes, the exterior surfaces or the rollers or cutters arepreferably left smooth. so as not to puncture or weaken the casing.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction Withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

I claim 1. A reamer comprising a body, and ro-' tary cutters mountedthereon, said cutters being so mounted that during reaming operatationof the body, the general contour of each cutter being somewhatbarrel-shaped in form designed to engage the walls of a hole tersmounted for rotation. upon the throughout substantially the completelength of the cutter.

2. A. reamer comprising a body, rotary cutters mounted thereon, saidcutters being so mounted that during reaming operations they will beheld by the body the desired distance from the center of the body, eachcutter having its ends arranged upon different radial planes and beingof general barrelshaped form designed to engage the walls of a holethroughout substantially the entire length of the cutter.

3. A; reamer comprising a body, rotary I cutters mounted thereon, saidcutters being so mounted that'during reaming they will be maintained bythe body the desired radial distance from its center with the ends ofeach cutter substantially equi-distant from the center of the body withone end higher than the other and the ends arranged on different radialplanes, said cutters being barrel-sha ed iI l 'fOIII1 walls ol a holethroughout substantially their entire lengths 4. Al reamer comprising abody,

body about axes'which are maintained by the body the desired distancefrom its center during cutting operations, each cutter being downwardlyinclined through a plane between the ends oft-he cutter arrangedradially of the body, each cutter presenting a longitudinally curvedouter surface designed to be substantially complementary to the walls ofa circumferentially hole and having thereon extending teeth.

5. A reamer comprising a body, and rotary cutters mounted thereon, saidcutters being so mounted that during'reaming operations they will beheld by the body the desired distance from its center, each cutterhaving its ends arranged one higher than the other and in differentradial planes of the body, the upper ends of the cutters being inadvance of their lower endstoward the direction of the rotation of thebody, said cutters being barrel-shaped in form and havingcircumferentially extending cutting edges designed to have each'cuttingedge engage the walls of a hole. I v

In testimon whereof I have signed my name to this specification. JOHN A.VERTSON.

designed to engage the rotary cut

